iyO has expanded its lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that former Apple designer and io co-founder Tang Tan misappropriated confidential trade secrets to accelerate product development by a decade.

Key points

• The amended complaint alleges that former iyO engineer Dan Sargent downloaded proprietary CAD files and design prototypes before sharing them with Tang Tan.
• iyO claims the stolen data included internal design details that significantly advanced the development timeline for io, a company founded by Jony Ive and acquired by OpenAI.
• The filing details an alleged June 2024 meeting in San Francisco where Tan reportedly reviewed iyO’s internal materials and physical product samples.
• The lawsuit, originally focused on trademark infringement regarding the "io" name, now includes formal allegations of trade secret misappropriation against Tan and OpenAI.
• OpenAI has previously stated it does not intend to use the "io" brand name, but the legal dispute continues following these new allegations.

This escalation transforms a trademark dispute into a serious trade secret misappropriation case involving high-profile industry figures and intellectual property. The outcome could significantly impact the development trajectory of OpenAI’s hardware initiatives and set a precedent for how AI companies handle proprietary design data.